### Chapter 7: Sharpening the Sword Intent
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With the little demons screeching and brandishing their weapons charging at her, Lin Nan couldn’t have been happier.
Ever since she entered “The Way of Inquiry” world, she had relied on her skills to breeze through to the Cold Wind Cave. But fighting the enemies with only sword techniques, leaving her skills behind, felt just like using regular attacks the whole time—a daunting challenge!
I mean, can you even compare how a martial arts master wields a sword opposed to an ordinary Joe?
Thank goodness for all the practice she had in the backyard of the Eight Immortals Restaurant; it had stealthily given her some understanding of swordsmanship.
True, she hadn’t received any formal training yet, but her intuition allowed her to work things out in her own way.
Plus, she had incredible agility on her side! Even if she couldn’t handle these little demons right away, she could dance around them, honing her combat skills in what was practically a live-action sword-fighting class.
Before she knew it, she drifted into a wonderful state of focus.
Not a worry in her mind, it felt like there was just her sword and nothing else in the universe.
It was as if the blade had a consciousness of its own, guiding her arms smoothly through the frenzied charges of the little demons.
The “clash, clang” of metal echoed in her ears like a delightful, rhythmic melody, deepening her understanding of sword intent with each note.
It was a pretty mystical process.
As she clashed with the little demons, she could feel that her days of slicing carrots into fine strips had not been in vain. She knew when to go light, when to apply pressure, smoothly transitioning between techniques, making her swordplay as unpredictable as a lovesick teenager—leaving her enemies confounded and unable to parry.
However, Lin Nan wasn’t in a hurry to conclude her practice. She even dialed back her agility, relying solely on her long sword to spar with the little demons, soaking up practical combat experience.
【Ding! You’ve comprehended Level 5 Sword Intent!】
This was a delightful surprise! It seemed practice really did boost her sword intent significantly. After slicing carrots for days to barely reach Level 4, she was now leveling up in under ten minutes of practice with the little demons.
Truly, experience breeds knowledge, as the saying goes.
The little demons, frustrated from their unyielding assault, couldn’t get a grip on her—causing them to screech in frustration.
Then, out of nowhere, they conjured what they thought was a brilliant idea.
Surrounding the black-robed demoness in a giant circle, they started spinning it while shrinking it down, with the inner circle brandishing spears, aiming to trap her in place—hoping that once the circle got small enough, she’d just have to surrender like a kitten caught in a cardboard box.
Lin Nan couldn’t help but smirk at their strategic twist, just waiting to see what would happen next.
Faced with attacks from all sides, this might just ramp up her reflexes even more!
At that moment, the little demons had all switched to spears—over ten long poles aimed right at her sides, charging forward with battle cries.
Lin Nan took a deep breath, raised her sword, and suddenly lunged in one direction.
In an instant, she noticed one little demon faltering, its footing unsteady—an excellent weak spot in their formation.
As she charged, spears from all sides were threatening to poke her sides and back.
But did she feel afraid? Not in the slightest! In high-stakes situations like this, her mind sharpened even more clearly.
Once upon a time, she was a micro-managing master in “Heavenly Domination”, and when survival was on the line, it brought out her true potential.
With swift and slashing motions, her sword flew, dodging the nearest spears before plunging into the throat of the closest little demon.
In that split second, the “barrel formation” they had collapsed like a house of cards.
Had it been anyone else, maybe the formation would have fixed itself immediately, but facing Lin Nan? Not a chance!
She was like a wisp of black smoke, instantly demolishing what they thought was their impregnable formation.
Most of the little demons were left with swords in their joints, collapsing onto the ground like deflated balloons, temporarily out for the count.
Lin Nan stood tall, slowly sheathing her sword.
Around her lay the little demons clenching their legs in agony, while she had merely torn a few threads of fabric and suffered a few minor scrapes.
What a breeze!
If she had relied on her signature Black Snow skill, she could have wiped them out without breaking a sweat.
But that wasn’t her goal.
As an NPC with only one life, she wanted no weaknesses.
Thus, even if it meant receiving a few scratches, she would continue to sharpen her fundamental sword skills.
And in the battle with the little demons, she definitely tapped into feelings she had never encountered before.
For instance, the most fundamental truth: swords are for killing.
Fancy, ostentatious swordplay does nothing for m*rder—it actually diminishes efficiency and raises risk.
So, her swordplay appeared simple and crude, lacking any bells and whistles, but these moves were birthed from her practical experience, the most effective principles of killing.
However, this single battle was far from sufficient.
Because these little demons just weren’t strong enough; they had quantity, not quality, and she needed tougher opponents.
Returning to the Cold Wind Cave undetected, she found Cold Moon waiting quietly at her bedroom door.
“Great King, what happened to you?”
Cold Moon exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth.
Lin Nan’s fitted black outfit bore many scratches, with bl**d seeping from several spots.
“Oh, I just went out to warm up; these little bruises are nothing.”
“That won’t do! I have some hemostatic herbs here. Let me take care of your wounds.” Cold Moon blurted out.
Before Lin Nan could object, Cold Moon dashed off to grab the medicine.
Whatever, if that made her happy, so be it.
Lin Nan opened the system and noticed something odd—the health bar wasn’t showing up.
She was wounded, so why no health bar?
Could it be that NPCs don’t see their health bar at all, and only players see the NPC’s status when they attack?
It was a real thinker.
Before long, Cold Moon rushed back, cradling a small jar of medicine that emitted a decidedly sharp odor.
【Ding! This is a unique healing potion from the water tribes. When applied externally, it will effectively enhance your defense capabilities, ensuring your delicate skin remains unharmed.】
At first, Lin Nan felt pleased while hearing the first part, but quickly found herself rolling her eyes at the second half. “Could you be any more cringy?!”
“Alright, just set it down; I’ll apply it myself in a bit.”
Cold Moon hesitated but insisted, “But Great King, it seems like your back has some wounds too.”
Though Lin Nan had seen her own body, it didn’t mean she was open to sharing it with others.
Besides, her Cold Value was already teetering on the edge, fluctuating around 100.
“No need, just go outside.” She said flatly.
【Cold Value +3】
Of course, if she allowed Cold Moon to come in and tend to her, her Cold Value would plummet below the natural threshold.
Plus, she realized a new issue recently.
The closer she was to someone, the less they contributed to her Cold Value, because they got used to her ways and wouldn’t be surprised by her demeanor.
Cold Moon, hearing her, wore an “I knew this would happen” expression, gently placing the medicine aside, “Then I’ll step outside for now.”
“Oh right, I need to report something to you. The Wolf Demon is trapped in a pit; how should we handle him next?”
Lin Nan pondered, “Let him stew for a bit; we’ll discuss it in a couple of days.”
“Understood.”
After Cold Moon left, Lin Nan cautiously peeled off her close-fitting clothes, and the sight of her white skin marred with red marks was alarming.
But the wounds were actually quite minor.
Battle scars might be a badge of honor for men, but for women? Scarring means imperfection, much like rare porcelain—one chip and the value plummets.
Her body was like a statue of Venus—flawless from top to bottom—and it seemed the Creator of the “The Way of Inquiry” world had favored her; each time she caught a glimpse, her heart raced.
So how could she allow something regrettable to occur?
After diligently applying the ointment, despite its pungent scent, Lin Nan could feel her skin changing, as though a translucent layer had been coated over her existing skin, making her already pale skin even more alluring.
Was this okay?
Lin Nan shook her head—let’s not overthink it for now, a bath is in order.
She had already mapped out who her next opponent would be.
If she wanted her swordsmanship to improve rapidly, she needed to keep seeking out new foes.
She glanced at the medicine jar; it still looked like there was ample healing potion left.
Even if she was injured, with this, she’d recover quickly.
She just hoped she’d reach a level where she could stand toe to toe with stronger enemies before they showed up.
In the backyard of the Eight Immortals Restaurant,
Lin Nan suddenly smiled at Fatty, saying, “Isn’t it funny? We’ve spent all this time together, and yet I still don’t know your name. Always calling you ‘Fatty’ feels a bit rude.”
Fatty looked up, bewildered. Once assured they were alone, he said, “Are you really talking to me? I thought you had gone mute or something!”
“Come on, Fatty, don’t joke around! We’ve shared our ups and downs; how could I ignore you?”
“Strange, really strange… You seem like a totally different person.” Fatty murmured quietly.
“What are you mumbling about, Fatty?” The big account in management looked curiously at him.
“Oh, nothing. Since you asked, let me properly introduce myself. I’m Duan Mu—’Duan’ as in ‘broken’, and ‘Mu’ as in ‘admiration’.”
“I’m Lin Nan, yes, exactly like those two characters that first popped into your head.”
Fatty stared at Lin Nan’s beaming face, feeling somewhat out of sync with it.
Was this guy suddenly going off the deep end?
